


The Little Wolf with the Eyes of a Dragon

by aceofhearts88



Series: Howling at the Stars [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur thinks of the past and the future, Jon has a pet lizard, Jon has violet eyes, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, cousin Torrhen wants all the animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 13:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12133686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofhearts88/pseuds/aceofhearts88
Summary: A day in the lives of Arthur Dayne and little Jon in Volantis.Lizards do not belong in beds, Torrhen will not get an elephant and Jon wants the book about big lizards.





	The Little Wolf with the Eyes of a Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> It's easier to understand this if you have read the other parts in the series, but I think it can still be read as a funny little sweet piece on its own.

The comfort of sleep was still keeping hold of him, soft pillows under his head, light blanket not smothering in the warmth of the day. A light breeze coming in through the window surely, stroking over bare arms and tickling at his hair.

And still something was slowly but surely pulling Arthur into waking up, potentially the small pale hand tugging on two fingers of his left hand. 

"Papa!" A small voice called out, not yet yelling but not speaking as quietly as the little boy usually did, quiet in nature and temper. A real sweetheart for everyone, soft smiles and perfect manners, always happy to see others be happy. Not a sign of the temper and the tantrums his cousin could throw at times, he had always ever been a quiet content babe and now toddler.

Arthur smiled when he turned his head around but still kept his eyes closed, enjoying the moment too much where it was for once a gentle wake up call. Somehow Jon must have gotten Torrhen distracted with something else, Torrhen surely would have immediately jumped upon the bed and Arthur would have been jolted awake to protect precious body parts. A small hand reached for his nose and pulled, accompanied by a voice once more calling out "Papa".

It had been a fight really in the beginning when Jon had started calling him so, for Torrhen the situation had been clearer. Ashara had been mother, father had not been anymore and Arthur had been Uncle. But what did you explain to a one year old who stretched out arms and demanded for Papa to pick him up? Arthur had felt guilty but Jon hadn't stopped and Ashara had reasoned that the boy needed something to focus on, someone to focus on.

He had never called Ashara mother, she had always been 'Ash' or 'Auntie' later. 

'Look me in the eyes and tell me Rhaegar or Lyanna would condemn you for this, brother.' Ashara had told him one night a short while after Jon had started babbling his first words, the 'Papa' having been the first of them all, 'You are raising their son. When he is old enough to understand, we can explain but for now give the child the father he wants to have. Rhaegar would want you to.'

Arthur had wanted to rage at her, for a long moment he had wanted to rage at his sister, how could she stand there and dare to tell him what Rhaegar would have wanted. No one had known Rhaegar like Arthur had, no one! Rhaegar would have wanted to live, Rhaegar would have wanted to meet his son and love him and both had been ripped away from him. The anger and the guilt had still been hot in his veins at that point, spurned on by the pain in his heart, but of course he had never said a single word to his sister, Ashara had her own grief.

Time passed and the hesitation in his heart melted away with those wide eyed looks of adoration from violet eyes. He missed Rhaegar like a limb, missed Lyanna as well, and he could never get them back, but he had a part of them with him now. And Rhaegar's and Lyanna's son deserved all the love he could give. Ashara was right, it was what Rhaegar...what Rhaegar and Lyanna would have wanted for Jon.

"Papa, up!"

Arthur growled playfully as he opened his eyes and grabbed Jon into his arms, pulling the shrieking laughing boy of two name days up onto the bed. Jon was still giggling when he wriggled himself under the blanket and splayed himself out over Arthur's chest. He was still wearing only the white tunic the boys wore for sleeping and Arthur glanced at the window, surprised over how low the sun was still standing.

He had come back from Starfall and the Knighting ceremony two nights ago, and had spent most of those last two days being at the mercy of both boys, accordingly exhausted had he fallen into bed. This morning though Torrhen seemed to have settled back into his routine and had decided against joining his cousin for the wake up call, Arthur only hoped that he left his mother alone. Ashara was heavy with child, alright and glowing and perfect, but she still needed her rest.

"Mexes!"

"No. Meraxes can stay right down on the ground. Lizards do not belong in my bed." Arthur repeated the words he spoke about every second day. His sister had found herself so unbelievangly funny when she had proposed Jon to name his new friend after one of the dragons in his favourite stories. Jon pouted for a moment but didn't consider it important enough to argue about, instead he snuggled back against Arthur who wrapped both arms around him.

Sometimes it was easy to keep living, simply to have these quiet mornings where he could watch this precious child fall asleep in his arms again while he gently stroked through those wild black locks.

And of course it was exactly then that something wormed itself around his foot and Arthur jumped with a shriek, quickly pulling off the blanket to glower at the green lizard hanging off his ankle while Jon laughed.

\--

Regular mornings meant spending a good hour in the pools after breaking one's fast, especially when the days were hot and unforgiving in their weather again. Ashara would sigh and with help now sit down in the shallow end of the small pool, protected by the shadow two palm trees were offering. She would watch over the boys while they played and Arthur took his time in the bigger pool, strokes to keep fit, certainly less exhausting than trying to spar for two hours in a heat that at times made Dorne feel like the North.

Both boys could swim, Ashara and Arthur had seen quickly to that, Volantis was a harbor city, many corners they visited with the children were either directly at the sea or not too far from it, they couldn't risk overcurious little minds. Grown up in Starfall they had both learned to swim at an early age as well, the Torrentine was a beautiful playground but also dangerous if one could not at least hold himself over water until help arrived. 

Now, the boys still saw the pools as just another ground to play in at home, Torrhen liked to mimic his uncle already, making his own rows in the small pool while Arthur focused on his in the bigger one where the boys were not allowed alone yet. Jon was content to watch, or play with the shells, throwing them into the pool and then trying to get them again before proudly carrying them over to Ashara to show. 

Meraxes usually watched from a stone in the sun, lazy eyes following her little friend's adventures without intending to move from her position. Jon had luckily enough quickly understood that lizards had no place in water. Torrhen had learned his lesson concerning the same fact about his kitten a little more hands on after he had dropped the poor creature into the pool and his furry little friend had scratched him in his attempt to get out of the offending liquid again. 

Lorus was now never seen when his little master was frolicking around the pools, gone like the wind when Torrhen just took a single step towards the water's edge.

Done with his morning routine, Arthur stopped at the edge of the deep pool, grinning at Torrhen's clumsy attempts to hold a straight line in his swimming strokes and smiling over Jon's bright grin as his little hand was held by Ashara to her stomach, surely feeling the baby kick. If his sister was to be believed the little one put up such fierce behavior that it could only be a girl, apparently all women in their family tended to put up a fuss in the womb.

Arthur had no idea, he had had the tendency as a child and young boy to firmly slap his hands over his ears when his mother, or Queen Rhaella for that matter, had talked about the forthcomings of being with child. 

After another moment of observation, he slowly and sneakily got out of the pool and nearly soundlessly lowered himself into the smaller one for the children. Then he growled like the sea monsters in the stories the sailors liked to tell down in the harbor, Jon jumped and shrieked as he got snatched up at Torrhen howled when he came to save his cousin. Ashara caught his eyes when Arthur went down in full dramatics over Torrhen tries, mindfull to keep Jon above water, and her laughter made him just as happy as the boys'.

\--

In the afternoon, with the midday sun easing itself out of the unforgiving burning heat slowly, Ashara weaseled the boys into wanting to go down to the markets, who in turn begged with Arthur until he agreed. They took guards and Ser Milo, a man who had accompanied Arthur back after his first return to Starfall, carried two swords as he always did nowadays, Arthur just couldn't risk having the boys crawl all over himself while he carried them and be in danger of getting hurt.

And Dawn was as always in danger of being recognized and he only took her out in these days when he left for Starfall.

They took a wheelhouse down to the harbor, but then continued by foot by Ashara's loud insistence. Arthur knew not to coddle her, his sister had survived the childbed before without any complications and knew what she was doing. 

People didn't look at them on the market any more than they did at others and though Arthur always remained vigilant he still also trusted their guards to do the brunt of the duty. Jon and Torrhen were still young enough to find the market and the harbor utterly fascinating no matter how many times they came down here and how little it changed really. 

Torrhen wanted to have every animal he laid eyes on and Arthur only too happily let his mother be the one to say 'no' and explain 'why' time and time again. Jon as always liked to look and look, and as of recently ask questions, curious about everything. His shyness was charming again to many merchants and sailors and as long as a tiny hand could hold tightly onto Arthur's sleeve or his fingers, Jon was even inclined to ask questions.

Ashara and Arthur raised the boys in the Common Tongue and in High Valyrian, knowing that the latter was needed for their life now, but that the former couldn't be forgotten for a future that might lay in Westeros again. Ashara had learned it as a child in the Water Gardens because she had always been talented with accents and languages – Arthur had the feeling there was a dare involved with Prince Oberyn as well. Arthur had reluctantly suffered through lessons given to him by Rhaegar himself because eleven year olds needed a secret language.

The boys were like every other child on the market like this, clumsy questions, curious eyes, overeager hands in Torrhen's case and smiles for everyone in Jon's. He liked to smile and even more he liked it when people smiled back, it always made blush but also happy, Arthur could see it, and maybe that part still stabbed him in the heart sometimes, that natural charming demeanor that Rhaegar had had as well, under all that melancholy and sadness.

Under all that burden of stress and responsibilities.

A tug on his right hand pulled him out of his inner musings and Arthur looked down to see Jon trying to get his attention, they had been standing at the stand with the picture books for minutes already. Jon could lose himself in them and still Arthur would have to almost needle him into telling which one he wanted.

Meanwhile, further down the street, Ashara had one hand over her face while Torrhen pouted next to her and stared resiliently at the elephant. 

"Look, Papa!" Jon told him when he saw he had Arthur's eyes and small fingers pointed at a book thrown open on one of the stand's table. Arthur turned to look and nearly spluttered at the sight of Balerion the Black Dread drawn in full flight. He picked Jon up and set him onto his hip, "Big Mexes!" Jon crowned happily, swinging himself forward, knowing Arthur wouldn't drop him, so he could take a closer better look from up high.

Arthur laughed and looked around for the merchant, "Yes, you're right, a really big lizard, Jon. That's Balerion, he was the biggest dragon of the old kings." Jon glanced up at him, big round eyes and Arthur leaned closer, "You wanna ask me something, little wolf?" He would never let the boy become a spoiled brat but Jon seemed to go into the completely different direction and Arthur jumped at every chance where the boy actually showed that he wanted something.

"Have, Papa? Have book please?" Jon asked him all grinning for once and Arthur laughed, pressing a kiss into the boy's hair he waved down the merchant. Jon pointed at the book and even handed over the coins himself, Arthur on a whim purchased another book that promised pictures on Northern Westeros animals, Ashara would like that one for the boys to have. 

"What have we here?" Ashara wanted to know as they joined her a moment later, Torrhen was wriggling around in Ser Milo's arm not too far off as he got to pet the elephant, surely firing off questions after questions to its owner. Arthur had not always held Brandon Stark in the best regards, not after what the man had done with his sister in Harrenhall, but Ashara held just as much responsibility and Arthur loved his nephew, even if his booming confidence and recklessness were already driving him crazy with worry sometimes.

The kid would get in trouble later, Arthur could already feel it.

Jon though proudly presented the book he was only able to hold because Arthur helped him after handing the other one off to a guard.  
"Big Mexes! Saw Big Mexes, Auntie!" Jon told her and Ashara smiled for him, looking at Arthur who shrugged his shoulders, he was not gonna say no if the kid finally wanted something for himself. Torrhen wasn't interested in the slightest in dragons, they weren't furry or could be ridden because they didn't exist anymore. Torrhen only believed in animals he could touch or at least see close enough to believe they were actually real, Arthur had learned that lesson with the desert snake.

He was also waiting for the day Ashara would have to deal with the undeniable question if Torrhen could get a direwolf once the boy knew who his father was. 

"Now, that is a pretty book you have there, Jon. So many pictures for our stories, have you seen if they have your little Meraxes' big sister as well?" Ashara questioned Jon and he shook his head, letting her take the book so she could look. "Ah, there we go, there she is, Jon." Arthur wouldn't need to look to picture the dragon in his mind, or her skull for that matter because Arthur's usual place during petition hearings meant that he had to stare at her for hours. 

Jon though leaned over in his arms and giggled happily.

"You wanna go and pet the elephant, too?" Ashara then asked him, handing the purchases dragon book over to one of the guards. Jon looked over to Torrhen and his face said it all before he even shook his head. Confront the boy with dragon tales about dragons large enough to swallow said elephant and he'll be thrilled, but offer him a chance to pet the docile calm elephant and he balks. "Aw, that's okay, my little sweet." Ashara said and kissed his little hand, "Come, let us talk your Papa into buying us some sweets."

\--

As the day came to an end, Arthur found himself in his favourite place in their new home, up on a settee on the great balcony on the east side of the building. Unless the fog came about, it offered an imposing view down to the harbor and across the Summer Sea and the Rhoyne. A light breeze was soothing the remaining heat in his body tonight as he leaned back with the child in his arms.

Jon was asleep against his chest, small hands holding onto his tunic and Arthur hoped he dreamed of the wonders a happy story might have conjured up in that little quick mind. He loved sitting up here and watching the last of the sun vanish into the sea, the sky darkening until stars lit up the night. 

When Jon had been fussy as a baby, rare as it had been, Arthur had hushed him right here on this balcony, talking about stars and dreams. When Jon had not wanted to settle when his teeth had come in, Arthur had at times sat with him under the nightsky for hours, pointing out constellations to tired frustrated-with-pain violet eyes, fully aware that it had been his voice and his steady heartbeat and not the actual words that had soothed a babe to sleep.

By now it had become routine that they took this moment for just the two of them, watching the sun set and the stars appear, sometimes Jon made it. Eyes twinkling just as much as the stars did above them, most of the time Jon fell asleep long before it came to it. Arthur longed for him to see a shooting star one day, to send a prayer up to it as well.

Arthur Dayne had never believed in gods, not the old, not the new, not in fancy lords of light, but he had always believed in stars, because they had never left him, never disappointed him. The stars had never taken the people he loved from him and ripped pieces of his heart out of his chest.

In his arms, Jon scrunched up his nose in his dreams and Arthur trailed a few fingers to the back of his neck and then laid his hand there. Once upon a not that far away time his hand had been able to cover more than half the boy as he laid on his best, now it is his head at best, but the gesture still soothed the worries away. Lips got curled up into that sweet sweet smile again, the one he always carried, happy, content, his little boy.

It didn't hurt anymore like it had in the beginning when he saw familiar traits or features of the boy's parents develop. Rhaegar's eyes that look at him happy and curious all day long, that come alive with so much joy when Arthur returned from a trip. Lyanna's happy blinding smile, Rhaegar's brooding pout when something wasn't working out the way Jon wanted it to. Lyanna's hair but Rhaegar's curls. And a nose that was just undeniably Jon's own.

And he was his own person. No matter what the past might try to write for his future, Arthur would always make sure Jon could remain true to himself. No one would ever corrupt this boy, no whispers, no prophecies, no ambitions. Jon's own dreams.

And if those lay in Westeros, so be it. Arthur would try his best to help and support Jon, no matter where his path led. The boy was for all intents and purposes his son. 

Only time would be able to tell just how the future would look. Maybe one day they would be able to return. Maybe Ashara would see her loved Dorne again, her children would see the lands her mother had grown up in. Maybe Torrhen and Jon would one day be able to visit Winterfell and see the castle Ned and Lyanna Stark had called home. Maybe Jon would by the grace of god get to set eyes upon Dragonstone or even the ruins of Summerhall, and see the only placed his father had ever truly felt comfortable in. 

And if fate was gracious, then maybe Arthur would be granted the opportunity to be at their side still, to get a chance himself to walk along the shores of the Trident and say goodbye to the other half of his heart. 

But no one could tell what the future would bring.

For now, he could only focus on making sure this little boy would grow up knowing he was loved, that people cared for him deeply, that they were proud of him. He lived to see all soon to be three kids happy and healthy, to help them become what they wanted to be.

He wasn't raising a future king, not even a future prince, if it went after him, Jon would never even get close to that thrice cursed throne. This wonderful sweet child didn't ever need to be confronted with crowns and kingdoms, with legacies and dynasties. He wouldn't even need to learn how to fight or how to wield a sword if he didn't want to, Arthur would always be ready to defend and protect him in a heartbeat.

"I love you, my little wolf." He whispered in the approaching darkness now, his fingers still stroking through black hair while Jon was already fast asleep in his arms. "I love you so much and I swear to you that you will never lose me. I'll stay with you and one day I'll tell you everything about your parents. How much they loved you most of all, and how we will never forget them."

Not tonight though, tonight he cradled the boy safely in his arms and turned his eyes up towards the stars, let them soothe worries and bring new hope.


End file.
